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The Best New England Clam Chowder Recipe
Because cream is the main ingredient in clam chowder, this dish needs some help in the flavor department, to add contrast. Bacon is especially nice in creamy recipes and that is true whether you are making a creamy pasta dish or a creamy soup. You can switch the bacon for ham in this recipe if you prefer it. The black pepper, clam juice and, of course, the clams themselves, add plenty of wonderful taste to this traditional chowder recipe.
There are many different clam chowder recipes that you can choose from but this one has a great texture and flavor so you will not be disappointed. Garnish it however you like, with some minced or chopped fresh herbs or even a few croutons. Crusty bread is also nice with a New England clam chowder recipe, if you want to serve some on the side.
This recipe is really easy because it is simply a case of cooking the bacon and onions, boiling the potatoes, and then combining those ingredients with the others until the soup is done to perfection. Using canned clams is simpler than using fresh ones and the flavor will be just as nice.
Clam Chowder with Bacon
Ingredients -
4 diced slices bacon
˝ cup water
1 cup clam juice
1 ˝ cups chopped onion
3 cups Half & Half
1 ˝ teaspoons salt
4 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
20 oz can minced clams
3 tablespoons butter
Black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are tender, and then drain them.
Add the butter, water, and the Half & Half to the potatoes and stir.
Sauté the bacon until it is nearly crisp, then add the onions and cook for 5 minutes more.
Drain the clams and keep the liquid.
Stir the bacon, onions, clams and ˝ their liquid into the potato mixture. Cook for 5 minutes without letting it boil.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture if you want the chowder to be thicker.
Garnish with parsley.
(Serves 4)
Wine Suggestion:
Which Wine to Serve with The Best New England Clam Chowder Recipe
The creaminess of the New England clam chowder means that a light wine is needed. Something full yet fruity, like a Viognier or Chardonnay, would cut the richness of this creamy dish whilst complementing the chowder's flavor. Chardonnay is full-bodied and acidic and it is a safe choice for creamy soups. Viognier is similar but fruitier and a bit sweeter.
The Best New England Clam Chowder Recipe
Photo Description:
This creamy soup smells beautiful and you will be able to identify the clam and bacon aromas emanating from it, which will make your mouth water before you have even tasted the chowder. New England clam chowder is always a popular choice because the flavors are well balanced and its thickness gives it a comfort food appeal. Served al fresco with a bread roll and a glass of chilled white wine, New England clam chowder makes a wonderful lunch or dinner. It is suitable for any occasion or season and you will love how the different flavors all combine so well.
What is Saffron and How to Use It in Recipes
Saffron is a key ingredient in the best New England clam chowder recipe and, even though it is a subtle-flavored spice, it gives your New England clam chowder a magnificent flavor. It takes seventy five thousand blossoms or two hundred and twenty five thousand stamens to make one pound of saffron, and this explains why saffron is so expensive.
Saffron is native to the Mediterranean but it is grown today in China, Iran, Turkey and India too. The name comes from "zafaran" which is the Arabic word for yellow. Saffron is used to dye Buddhist robes in India and it was also used to scent the public halls and baths of Imperial Rome. The Romans introduced this spice to England.
It was temporarily lost in the Dark Ages but it is believed that a pilgrim smuggled a crocus bulb back in a hollow staff in the 1300s and all the saffron in England descends from that one bulb.
How to Buy and Store This Spice
Saffron is thread-like and bright orange-red in color. Any saffron with light or white patches or streaks is inferior quality. The flavor can be likened to bitter honey. This spice, which can be used to make wonderful New England clam chowder recipes, is available from most specialty food stores. If it has sat on the shelf for a long time though, it might have lost its flavor, so check to see it still has a bright color before parting with your money.
Because saffron has such an intense flavor and costs a lot, you should only use a tiny bit in your New England clam chowder or other saffron recipes. You can crush it into a fine powder, if the recipe calls for that, using a mortar and pestle. It is simpler to steep the spice in hot water though. One cup of saffron water should be enough for a pound of rice. Do not buy ready-powdered saffron because it might not be pure. Store it somewhere dry and cool, away from direct light.
Saffron is popular in Mediterranean, Moorish and Asian recipes, and its most common function is to give rice a yellow color and a fragrant taste. Saffron goes nicely with seafood and it is almost always included in Spanish paella recipes, as well as in French bouillabaisse recipes. It is paired with dried fruit in a yeast cake to make Cornish saffron buns, a favorite in England.
This spice is also very good in a New England clam chowder recipes and its delicate flavor can give a gourmet touch to the dish without overpowering the delicate seafood flavors.
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